Monday, February 04, 2008

The Wall Street Journal today says that the President of the USA hasproposed a budget for next year that will top $3 trillion.Of course, this president won't be here next year and it will be up tocongress to decide what kind of budget to accept.

This year the budget was given to Congress electronically and not by avery large bundle of paper.

In the USA there are a lot of political primaries happening on Tuesdayand one would hope that folks have either voted by absentee ballet orwill vote in the primary should their state be holding one. Wecertainly are hearing a lot about presidential candidates and it wouldbe a shame to just let things happen by luck.

Here is another link to Shana Dale's report at SpeceRef.com. Also seemy copy below from NASA News.- LRK -

NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale said the increase for NASA's 2009budget demonstrates President Bush's commitment to the agency'smissions. With the increase, NASA still accounts for less than 1percent of the federal budget.

The NASA budget includes $5.78 billion for the space shuttle and spacestation programs, $4.44 billion for science, $3.5 billion fordevelopment of new manned spacecraft systems and $447 million foraeronautics research.

Dale noted steady progress with NASA's missions, with three successfulspace shuttle launches last year and up to six planned for this year,including a flight to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The agencyalso is making progress in developing the Orion spacecraft and Areslaunch vehicles to replace the aging shuttle fleet and prepare forjourneys to the moon and destinations beyond.

NASA has 55 science missions currently in space, about half involvinginternational partnerships, with 15 additional missions scheduled forlaunch by the end of 2009.

"In Earth science, NASA's investments in measuring the forces andeffects of climate change are allowing policymakers and the public tobetter understand its implications to our home planet," Dale said.

A recently completed decadal survey for Earth science includes viewsof the scientific community that will help the agency set prioritiesfor new missions to add to humanity's knowledge of Earth and itsclimate and ecosystems. NASA will dedicate $910 million during thenext five years to develop new missions to add to our Earth-observingfleet of spacecraft.

The budget also includes funding for lunar science to furtherscientific understanding of the moon and for planetary science andastrophysics to continue exploring worlds beyond Earth and to studydark energy and other mysteries of the cosmos.

In aeronautics, NASA is helping address fundamental research needsfacing the Next Generation Air Transportation System, aimed at makingU.S. air travel safer, more efficient and environmentally friendly.

As the International Space Station nears completion, the NASA budgetprovides funding to help spur development of commercial spacetransportation services to send cargo and possibly crews to thestation after the shuttles retire in 2010. Without commercialproviders, the United States will depend on the Russian Soyuzspacecraft to carry astronauts between Earth and the space station.

"The development of space simply cannot be 'all government all thetime,' " Dale said. "NASA's budget for FY 2009 provides $173 millionfor entrepreneurs - from big companies or small ones - to developcommercial transport capabilities to support the International SpaceStation. NASA is designating $500 million toward the development ofthis commercial space capability.

"With over $2.6 billion in NASA funds available over the next fiveyears to purchase cargo and crew services to support ISS operations,we would much rather be using this money to purchase cargo and crewservices from American commercial companies than foreign entities,"she added.